1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game, and in particular to a casino-style game played with at least one standard deck of cards and 14 special cards, the game being played in accordance with the rules of Blackjack.
2. Background of the Technology
It is known in the art to provide card games, such as Blackjack, in a casino environment or consistent with casino style rules. In these games, the gaming establishment typically seeks to attract as many participants to a game as possible to increase the money collected at the gaming table. In addition, the number of games played during a specified time, such as the number of hands per hour, is also an important metric used to evaluate the return potential for a game. That is, the more hands that are played during a unit of time, the greater the money collected by the house and the corresponding profit realized.
There is a need for card games having improved play over standard Blackjack to attract and maintain customer participation. There is a further need for such games that include features, such as additional card selection and drawing for bonus play, to maintain player interest and play after initial dealing of the hand.
The present invention relates to a method and system for playing a casino style card game, referred to as xe2x80x9cGo Fish 21,xe2x80x9d which is played in conjunction with standard rules for Blackjack, also known as xe2x80x9c21,xe2x80x9d using a shoe of five or six decks of cards and a set of special xe2x80x9cGo Fishxe2x80x9d bonus cards. The game may be played, for example, on a gaming table by players and a dealer using standard cards and special xe2x80x9cGo Fishxe2x80x9d bonus cards, or, for example, on a terminal, such as a computer or other electronic medium, using representations of various features of the game on a display device using a graphical user interface (GUI). The terminal can include, for example, a personal computer, minicomputer, microcomputer, or mainframe computer and a display device or coupling to a display device. The game is also playable in electronic form or in conjunction with electronic features over a network, such as the Internet or using other gaming devices, such as slot machines.
For play of Go Fish 21, in an embodiment of the present invention, a special set of 14 Go Fish playing cards or representations thereof are used. These 14 cards, which include standard cards valued 3-10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, along with 2 Jokers, are shuffled and fanned face down prior to play of the game commencing. In conjunction with play of Blackjack, including standard rules for wagering during play (e.g., placing ante bets and wagers during the course of play), for each hand, prior to dealing any cards, Go Fish 21 provides for the optional placement of a selection, including wager, by each player to receive a special bonus card in the event that the participating player is dealt a xe2x80x9cBlackjackxe2x80x9d hand. Upon a xe2x80x9cBlackjackxe2x80x9d hand being dealt to a player selecting to play Go Fish 21, that player is prompted to select one of the remaining Go Fish cards. This selection is made, for example, by placing a lammer, other marker, or other indication, such as by electronic selection, at a location corresponding to or indicating the card to be selected. The card selected is then revealed to the player, and a payout is made based on the card. In one variation, if a Joker is revealed, a second card is selected by the player, and the bonus is increased.
Additional advantages and novel features of the invention set forth in part in the description that follows, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or upon learning by practice of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for the purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.